South Africa’s top court on Tuesday handed former president Jacob Zuma a 15-month jail term for contempt of court following his refusal to appear before graft investigators.

The 79-year-old president Zuma is accused of enabling the plunder of state coffers during his nearly nine-year stay in office.

“The Constitutional Court can do nothing but conclude that Mr Zuma is guilty of the crime of contempt of court,” judge Sisi Khampepe said.

“This kind of recalcitrance and defiance is unlawful and will be punished,” Khampepe added.

“I am left with no option but to commit Mr Zuma to imprisonment, with the hope that doing so sends an unequivocal message… the rule of law and the administration of justice prevails.”

“The majority judgement orders an unsuspended sentence of imprisonment for a period (of 15 months),” she declared, ordering Zuma to hand himself over within five days.

The commission of inquiry is headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo. The panel was set up by Zuma himself, under pressure over mounting scandals, shortly before he was ousted in 2018 by the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

But he only testified once, in July 2019, before staging a walkout days later and accusing the commission’s Zondo of bias.

He reportedly ignored several invitations to reappear, citing medical reasons and preparations for another corruption trial. He presented himself again briefly in November but left before questioning, and Zondo asked to ask the Constitutional Court to intervene.